The Three Trapped in a Cave

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ narrated this profound story about three men from the nations before us:

Three men set out on a journey and were overtaken by rain. They took shelter in a cave in a mountain. Suddenly, a huge boulder rolled down from the mountain and blocked the entrance, trapping them inside.

They said to each other, "Nothing can save us from this rock except to invoke Allah by mentioning righteous deeds we have done."

The first man began to supplicate:

"O Allah! I had elderly parents, and I never gave food or drink to anyone before serving them first. One day, I had to travel far to gather wood, and when I returned, they had already fallen asleep. I milked the animals and brought the milk to them, but finding them asleep, I did not like to wake them, nor did I like to give the milk to my children before them, though they were crying at my feet from hunger.

I stood there with the milk cup in my hand, waiting for them to wake up. I continued waiting until dawn broke, and they woke up and drank their milk.

O Allah! If I did this for Your sake alone, then relieve us of this rock."

The rock shifted slightly but not enough to let them out.

The second man spoke:

"O Allah! I had a cousin whom I loved as much as a man can love a woman. I tried to seduce her, but she refused. One year, she was afflicted by famine, and she came to me for help. I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on the condition that she would give herself to me. She agreed out of desperation.

But when I was about to approach her, she said, 'O servant of Allah! Fear Allah and do not break the seal unlawfully.' Her words struck my heart. I got up and left her, and I left the gold I had given her.

O Allah! If I did this for Your sake alone, then relieve us of this rock."

The rock shifted further but still not enough to let them out.

The third man said:

"O Allah! I hired workers and paid all of them their wages except one, who left without taking his pay. I invested his wages in business, and it grew until it became a great amount of wealth - camels, cattle, sheep, and slaves.

After a long time, he came to me and said, 'O servant of Allah, give me my wages.' I said to him, 'All that you see is your wages - the camels, cattle, sheep, and slaves.' He said, 'Do not mock me!' I said, 'I am not mocking you. It is all yours.'

So he took it all and left nothing.

O Allah! If I did this for Your sake alone, then relieve us of this rock."

The rock rolled away completely, and they walked out free.

This story was narrated by the Prophet ﷺ to teach us that sincere good deeds done purely for Allah's sake can become a means of deliverance in times of hardship. Each of the three men called upon Allah through a deed that was done in secret, known only to Allah, with sincerity in their hearts.